All Work and No Play
by Kalany
Summary: ... makes Sano a dull boy. What's going on with Sanosuke? Has he gotten himself in over his head? My first fanfiction, and an attempt at K&K. ABANDONED!
1. Where's Sano?

Author's Notes  
This is my first fanfiction attempt. Well, not my first attempt, but the first one that got past a page in length. Be nice to me, please? Read and review, and maybe if people like it, it'll get nice and long....

This is also my first attempt to upload things to fanfiction.net, so please forgive me if stuff gets screwed up. I'll try to fix it, I promise... I haven't figured everything out yet. 

Many thanks to the wonderful authors whose stories inspired me and gave me lots of evil little ideas. If you recognize one of your ideas, write to me and I'll stick it in my "thanks" section at the end. For now, I just want to thank Melissa "Missy" Good, whose portrayal of another stubborn couple has touched and inspired me.

* * *

* * *

"Yahiko!"

"Busu, busu!"

The sounds of daily life flowed around Kenshin, who sat ignoring them all and concentrating on his cooking. The soup was just about done.

"Glad to see you're still the same, Yahiko-chan." Someone commented from the gate.

Kaoru stopped chasing Yahiko, who immediately stopped running. "Sano!"

"What did you call me?" Yahiko yelled angrily.

"Dinner's ready." Kenshin called.

"Just in time, I see." Sano grinned.

"I should have known you'd show up just in time for dinner." Kaoru growled, but took her place next to Kenshin. "Thanks, Kenshin."

"Argragrah...." The only sound in the dojo for a bit was that of the rapid consumption of food.

"I'm glad you reappeared, that I am." Kenshin said when things quieted down a bit, puncutating his statement with his rurouni smile.

"Yeah, where were you?" Kaoru asked. "It's not like you to miss a meal, and you've been gone for a week!"

"Busu's right!" Yahiko said, earning him a smack. "Where didja run off to? 'Fraid Busu would make you cook?" Another smack descended on his head, and the two were off.

Sano watched them for a moment, then smiled at Kenshin. "Always at it, aren't they?"

"Aa." The rurouni sighed. "It's true, that it is."

"She still making you do all the housework, Kenshin?"

"Aa. Sessha doesn't mind."

"The least you could do is teach her to cook. Your stuff is great... hers..."

"I heard that!" Kaoru stopped and began advancing on Sanosuke.

"I think you are trying to change the subject, that you are." Kenshin said quietly. 

"Yeah. Answer the question!" Yahiko demanded. Kaoru nodded firmly. 

"Nowhere really." Sano leaned against a support and smiled widely. "Just off having a little-- fun." 

Yahiko sighed with disappointment and went back to inhaling the contents of his bowl. Kaoru's eyes widened and she blushed slightly and coughed, then went back to eating also. Kenshin's eyes narrowed and he looked at Sano for a minute, but said nothing. 

* * *

Kenshin and Sanosuke sat together after dinner, drinking tea and watching Kaoru chase Yahiko. 

"Having 'fun', Sanosuke? For a week and a half?" Kenshin said softly. 

Sanosuke laughed nervously, putting a hand behind his head. "Well, Kenshin... You see, I had these... delayed payments." He grinned uneasily. "So I... decided to work them off." 

Kenshin's eyes stayed on the other two, and he smiled slightly. "I see, that I do. I am glad you have chosen to take an honorable path, Sanosuke." 

Sanosuke coughed slightly, but smiled. "Thanks, Kenshin." He indicated Kaoru and Yahiko, who were engaged in pummeling each other. "Think we should break them up?" 

Kenshin thought about that a moment, then smiled. "I do not think so. I think they enjoy it, that they do." 

Kenshin watched the two in peaceful silence. Sanosuke watched Kenshin for a moment, then turned his gaze away. 

* * *

"Where the heck is Sano?" Yahiko wondered a week later. "He's never around anymore." 

"That's Sano's business." Kaoru said sharply. "It's not polite to pry, Yahiko." 

"How would you know, Busu?" Another lump appeared on his head. "I was just wondering, cause he came in and paid off his tab at the Akabeko the other day. Nearly shocked Tae-san out of her obi!" 

Kaoru stopped hitting the boy. "You're joking, Yahiko. Sano? Pay off his tab? Never! Where would he get the money? He'd gamble it all away first." 

"Perhaps Sanosuke-san has given up gambling," the rurouni suggested with a smiled. "Or perhaps he has found a reason to." 

Kaoru and Yahiko just blinked at him. 

* * *

"No, I haven't seen that Rooster-head in days." Megumi said. "Why? Something wrong?" 

"Neither have we." Kaoru frowned. 

"Not even for meals?" The taller lady laughed in disbelief. "You must be joking. I've never known him to miss free food!" 

"No, that we are not." Kenshin spoke up. "Sessha is worried." 

"Come to think of it," Megumi said, "it is rather odd that he hasn't been in. Goodness, I must patch that idiot up every day!" 

"When was the last time he was here?" Kaoru asked. 

"Let me see." Megumi pulled out a small ledger and ran her finger down it. "Today, yesterday... ah. Here we go. Early last week... nearly twelve days ago. Had a sprained wrist, several large scrapes, a few cuts, and badly bruised knuckles." She turned her gaze to the two standing in her clinic. "It looked like he had been in a big fight, but that's not all that unusual. Do you think he's in some sort of trouble?" 

"No," Kenshin said. "We're just concerned." He smiled. 

* * *

_Shhhht. Shhhht-t._

Kenshin came awake in an instant. Someone had opened and closed a door in the dojo. His hand going to his sakabatou, he rose silently and padded to his own door. 

Through the paper, he could tell it was Kaoru-dono moving. Figuring she was on her way to the bathroom, he started to go back to bed, but something stopped him. _She's going the wrong way._

_Click._

There-- faint, but distinct, the sound of the front gate closing. _Where could she be going at midnight?_ Kenshin wondered, eyes narrowing. _Where-- Sanosuke-san. Of course._

A shadow slipped from the dojo after her. 

* * *

Kaoru gripped her bokken fiercely and tried to walk quietly and quickly. "Sano no baka." she cursed him under her breath. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?" 

Kenshin thought she had no clue what was going on in the world. Truth be told, like any woman, she had an extensive rumour net. And that rumour net wasn't saying anything good about Sano-baka. 

"I heard that Sagara-san was working in the gambling district." Tae had told her quietly the last time they were at the Akabeko. "I don't know where." 

"I heard that a man like that was working for one of the gambling places down on the Row," her perfume saleslady had said. "Two men were talking about it at the shop next door." 

"I heard something about a guy with a white shirt working for Hikokan's place." Shinokima-san, owner of a dojo she taught at, had said. "I was in a-- tavern-- and I overheard him talking." He had put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay out of it, little miss. You are a wonderful instructor, but he's bad news." 

She snuck onwards, towards the part of town known as the Row. A bad part of town, it was, although not so bad as some would have it. _I'll just sneak in, see what Sanosuke is up to, and sneak out again... not that hard._

As she got closer, the streets got rougher, less well tended. She thought she saw things in the alleys that made her avert her eyes and blush, and occasionally wince. Where she had walked proudly through the area she lived in, now she took to the shadows. 

There- that was the street she was looking for. Unlike the rest of the alleyways, it was large and well-lit. Odd. She went past it to the next street, then turned down that one. Creeping up to the back of the establishment, she stood on tiptoes to peer in through a high window. 

What she saw made her drop down to her feet with a small thud. Just to be sure, she looked again. 

* * *

Kenshin followed the girl through the alleys, occasionally taking different streets when he thought she might be suspicious. He thought he knew where she was going, but found himself frustrated that she had pinpointed Sanosuke's workplace more accurately than he. After all, he should be better at this than her. 

She paused at a well-lit street, then turned down the next alley. Kenshin peered down the first, and was immediately suspicious. They were deep in the ne'er-do-well area of Tokyo. What was a street like this doing here? He could see a few gambling houses, three eateries, and some houses without signs. Filing away the incongruities, he peeked down the street he'd seen Kaoru turn on. Ah- there. He slipped into a deep shadow nearby. 

The girl was peering through a lighted window. She dropped back down to her heels loudly enough to make Kenshin wince internally, then stood on her toes to look in again. This time she lowered herself much more slowly, and therefore much more quietly, but her frown showed her to be lost in confusion. 

Shaking herself a little, she glanced the other way quickly, then in the direction of Kenshin. He drew himself back into the shadows, but her eyes narrowed on his hiding place. "Kenshin?" 

Smiling sheepishly, he emerged and came over to her. How had she seen him? Perhaps his hakama had caught the light. 

"Kenshin." She whispered, her face icy. "Were you following me?" 

"Aa, de gozaru." He said quietly. 

She loomed over him, as she had a way of doing. "Why?" Her voice rose slightly. 

"Ssh." He cautioned her, only succeding in making her face go red. He put up his hands and smiled, hoping to calm her down before she gave them away. "Sessha worries sometimes." 

"Kenshin no baka." She muttered. 

"Did you find anything?" He asked, hoping to divert her. 

She gestured to the window. "Look for yourself." 

He grabbed the edge of the window and pulled himself up, then stared. After letting himself slowly down, he turned to stare at her. "Sanosuke-san-- is washing dishes?" 


	2. From the frying pan...

* * *

Author's Notes: 

* * *

Someone pointed out to me that Kenshin doesn't refer to Sano as Sanosuke-san, but as Sano. Oops... Sorry Kenshin. I'll fix the previous chapter one of these days. 

Please, if you notice problems with my Japanese, let me know... I don't speak the language, and what I do know I've learned from reading other fanfic. I'm especially bad with making up Japanese-sounding names. Gomen, minna. (did I get that right?) 

I've been having real trouble with some of the characters, especially Kaoru. Suggestions are welcome! 

Also, I realized that I don't know where this fits into the anime or manga timeline. I've seen all of 5 DVDs and the OAVs, and everything else I've learned from reading fanfics. I think this probably fits into the "before Enishi" catagory, but I think Kaoru, at least, probably knows about Tomoe. Or maybe she doesn't. I haven't decided yet. I don't know when this information was revealed in the series. Maybe I'll have Kenshin tell her later. 

Since I don't know anything about the timeline of the anime or manga, I'm going to just give up on making the action follow the series timeline. Assuming I ever get plot going. See next paragraph... 

Sorry this is so long. It was having lack-of-plot issues, so I kept writing in the hopes that some would appear. I think I failed. -_- 

Finally, my apologies for the Very Long Break. I discovered the wonders of "Rurouni Kenshin: Tales of the Swirly-eyed Samurai", an English scan-and-translation of the manga. Maybe I'll be able to write the characters better now.... I actually have some plot under my belt! 

* * *

* * *

The two looked at each other for a moment. "Perhaps Sano has taken on a dishwashing job?" Kenshin suggested. "He did mention money problems." 

Kaoru snorted. "That baka always has money problems. And taking a job like... like..." She gestured at the window. "Like _that_ just isn't like him!" 

Kenshin frowned slightly. Something wasn't-- Who-- 

"And what have we here?" 

Kenshin and Kaoru both whirled to look at the source of the voice. The man facing them was a street rough, from his clothes. Unkempt hair framed a common face, and the mouth was missing a few teeth. Hefting a sturdy stick, he leered at Kaoru, and Kenshin stepped in front of her, hand on his sakabatou. Two men materialized out of the darkness behind the first. 

"Hmm, two little spies, I think." The man's leer grew. "Master'll be glad I caught something." 

"Oro?!" Kenshin tried to look innocent, or at least as innocent as he could while holding himself ready to draw his sword. He had a bad feeling about this bunch. "We were doing--" 

Kaoru was having none of it. "You've found us, but you're not going to catch us!" She glared at him and caught Kenshin's sleeve. "Kenshin, this-" Turning around to run, she found three more men who had come up behind her. "Kenshin!" Her voice held some desperation. 

"Kenshin, hey? We aren't, is that so?" The man leaned on the stick he had been carrying. 

"We shall come with you, that we will." Kenshin said, his voice dropping dangerously. "But you will not lay a hand on us. We will come freely." He freed his sleeve, and laid his hand on Kaoru's. "Come, Kaoru-dono." He knew she was frightened, and hoped she wouldn't do anything else unwise. 

They followed the man to a back entrance into the building, and were hustled down a hall and into a small office. "Wait there." The man said. "You lot, keep an eye on them. If they even so much as twitch..." The other men grinned and shook their sticks, and he left down the corridor. 

"Kenshin..." Kaoru whispered, nervous. 

"Shh, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said soothingly, trying to project as much calm as he could. "It will be all right, that it will." 

"Shut up." One of the men hefted his staff. 

Kaoru subsided, but Kenshin could still feel the fear in her ki. He stared at the man in question with his best "do not touch this girl" glare. 

What felt like an eon later, an impecibly man in a white formal kimono came in, trailed by the man who had captured them. *He must be Master, that he must*. Kenshin surmised. 

"These are the two that I found, Master." Their captor said obsequiously. "I--" He cut off when Master waved his hand. 

"That's enough, Eguchi. I will question them." 

* * *

Sanosuke was working on drying the dishes when he heard a commotion in the room beyond. He'd thought he'd heard someone in the alley behind where he worked, but that wasn't too unusual. His boss had a way of... well. Better not to think about it too hard. 

"Sagara! Get in here!" Speak of the devil. 

He dried his hands on the towel nearby and turned around. "Yes sir." He followed the older man into the office at the end of the hallway. 

Red hair. Red hair and black. A familiar form in his pink gi, and equally familiar black hair in a loose kimono sat with their backs to him. He blinked, then blinked again. He started to ask what they were doing here, but snapped his mouth shut in time. 

"Do you know these two?" His boss demanded as they stood and turned around at the direction of the guards next to them. 

"Yes, sir." He frowned at Kaoru. This was her idea, he knew it. "I do." 

"Who are they?" 

"The girl is Kamiya Kaoru, owner of a dojo left to her by her father. The man is Himura Kenshin, a rurouni currently living with her. She feeds me sometimes, and he does my laundry." All true, just not all the truth. Although, by the look on Kaoru's face, she didn't know he slipped his laundry into her pile. 

"You do _what_, Sano?" She practically screamed at him. He winced. No, she didn't know. "It's not enough that--" One of the guards poked her, and she quieted. 

"Oro..." Kenshin's comment went unnoticed. 

"So, your story is true, that far at least." His boss said to the pair thoughtfully. "I doubted you, at first." He turned to Sanosuke. "I was thinking-- well, never mind. Would they be the type to come looking for you?" 

"Yes, sir." Sanosuke said. "I haven't visited for dinner in a while, and I'm sure they were concerned about that." He tried to think what would make his boss leave these two alone. 

"Well, as you can see, my new dish-washing man is fine." His boss said irritably. "I'll let you go, just don't go poking around here again, got me?" He turned to Sanosuke. "And don't be such a baka next time. Don't go worrying your friends." 

Kaoru tried to hide a smile. Sanosuke frowned at her. 

"Yes, sir." He bowed. "So they are free to go? It won't happen again." 

"It had better not." He waved the guards away, though. That was good. "Walk them back to one of the main streets. We don't want them getting... lost." 

Sanosuke's heart slowed down a bit, and he realized that he had been high on adrenaline. "Thank you, sir." 

His boss shook a finger in his face. "Make sure they don't meddle again. Now, get back to the kitchens!" 

Sanosuke went. 

* * *

"I'm worried about him, Kenshin." Kaoru said softly, once the guards were out of earshot. 

"I'm glad you approve of his new job, that I am." Kenshin said loudly, bending over to pick something up and putting his finger to his mouth. "It will be good for Sano." 

"Ken-shin-" She began dangerously, but fell silent when he shot her a warning look. 

The two made it back to the dojo without incident. Kenshin smiled when they pushed the gate open-- Yahiko was asleep on the porch, his shinai across his lap. 

"Yahiko!" Kaoru started angrily, but Kenshin put a hand on her arm before she got inside the gate. 

"Kaoru." He said quietly. "Let him be." 

She blinked at him. "Kenshin, why-" 

"He deserves to know that we appreciate his effort, that he does." Kenshin said firmly. "Let me wake him." 

Kaoru looked like she might protest, but subsided. "Alright, but do it quickly. We all need to be in bed if we're to be awake in the morning!" 

Yahiko woke up the moment they set foot inside the dojo grounds. Privately, Kenshin was proud of him for his vigilance. "Kenshin! Kaoru!" He stood up, clutching his shinai. "Where-- How is Sano?" 

Again, Kenshin could not help but be proud of him. "He is alright for tonight, that he is." 

"We'll talk about it in the morning." Kaoru said. "Get to bed, Yahiko." 

With some grumbling, the boy went. Kenshin made to follow him, but Kaoru stopped him. "Wait a moment, Kenshin." 

Ut-oh. That sounded like trouble. His brow furrowed a little and his eyes widened as he wondered what she might want. He smoothed it back out, however, into a peaceful rurouni look. 

"Kenshin. Why did you tell me to be quiet earlier?" Actually, he was rather surprised that she was being so calm about it. Not at all like Kaoru. Come to think of it, he was even more surprised that she had been quiet in the first place. 

"I thought there were watchers, Kaoru-dono. I thought it best." 

"And _why_ did you follow me?" Ah, there her voice rose. Yes, that was the real issue. He'd seen that one coming. "Did you think I was that incompentent?" She sounded angry. 

"No, no." He held up his hands. "Sessha..." He trailed off. "Sessha knows you are competent, that he does." He paused again, and she broke in. 

"Kenshin, I can take care of myself! I don't need a babysitter." 

"Sessha does not want anything to happen to you." It was a flat statement. "Sessha would rather..." He paused, trying to think of another ending to that statement. "Sessha would rather risk Kaoru-dono's anger than see her hurt." 

"Kenshin...." She started gently, then stopped. "Kenshin no baka." She frowned at him. "Go to bed." She added after a moment. 

Kenshin wasn't about to argue with his reprieve, and so took himself off with haste. 

Kaoru stood there until she couldn't hear anything more in the dojo, then went outside and looked at the moon. "What have you gotten yourself into this time, Sano?" She asked the air. "Baka. This isn't at all like you. Why do I have this feeling that you're in over your head?" She sat on the porch and sighed. "Sano, I wish you were here so I could thump some sense into you." She sat there for a few minutes more, then stood and went inside. 

Purple eyes withdrew silently. 

* * *

"So, what's up with Sano?" Yahiko asked through a bite of food the next morning. 

"Sano has taken a job, that he has." Kenshin said, since Kaoru's mouth was completely full. "He has taken a job with a gambling firm in the slums." 

Kaoru managed to swallow and added "A very nasty employer. I don't trust that man. Too forceful. He _made_ us come inside!" 

"Busu got caught." Yahiko read between the lines. Kaoru's fist went up. "And he wasn't nice to her." He glared at Kenshin. "Kenshin! You're supposed to protect her. Not let idiots catch her!" Kaoru quietly lowered her fist behind his back. 

"We both got caught, that we did." Kenshin said. Yahiko's eyes bulged. "Our captor... required... that we follow him inside. There, his boss listened to our story and then made us wait in his office while he went to fetch Sanosuke to verify it." 

"And that was it." Kaoru finished for him, done consuming her bowl of food. "He told us to leave, and we left." 

Kenshin thought Yahiko wasn't buying it, and so he said, "He was rather forceful about it, that he was." 

"Mou. I'm worried about that idiot." Kaoru complained. "I don't like his boss." 

"We've got to make sure that Sano is okay!" Yahiko decided. "I want to meet this guy." 

"I do not think that would be a good idea, that I do." Kenshin told him. "I don't think his boss would be friendly if we came back." 

"Not at all." Kaoru agreed. 

"Perhaps we can find out what we might without going near there." Kenshin suggested. 

Yahiko grinned. "That's a great idea!" He stood up and ran out the door. 

"Get back here, Yahiko!" Kaoru screamed. "What about your lesson?" 

"Later, busu!" The reply floated in the window. 

Kaoru contemplated running after him, but sat back down with a sigh. "Mou. I hope he doesn't get hurt." She thought about that for a while. "Baka. Oh, well. I should go shopping. Come with me, Kenshin?" She offered him a hopeful smile. 

"Sessha has to do the laundry." He protested. 

"I need you to carry the packages home." She smiled brightly at him. "Come on, Kenshin!" 

"Oro..." 

* * *

In the marketplace, Kenshin simply followed Kaoru around, smiling at she exclaimed over all the pretty things. 

"Look at this, Kenshin!" She held up a small cat sculpture. 

"It is adorable, that it is." Kenshin said, then startled back when it nodded its head at him. "Oro!" 

"Look, Kenshin. You wiggle this wire here--" She showed him a small wire coming down from the sculpture-- "and it moves its head!" 

Kenshin examined the sculpture, then smiled at Kaoru. "Sessha sees. How inventive!" 

Kaoru gently handed it back to the vendor and exchanged a few words with the man. "Thank you for letting me see it." She said finally, and walked away. 

It began to seem like Kaoru intended to look over every pretty thing in the market, and buy nothing. Rather than being impatient, as Kenshin expected he'd be, he found himself watching her fondly. Her hair was so black in the sun, and her eyes sparkled blue as she conversed with the sellers. He watched her hands caress fabric and delicately handle pottery, and offered the occasional opinion when asked. 

Kenshin several times reached for his money pouch to buy something she was looking at with particular longing, and each time realized that he had almost no money. _She seems so taken with these pretty things, that she does._ He thought sadly. _I want to get her something, but what? I have almost no money. It has to be something perfect._

Three hours later, she finally wandered away from the stands with pretty baubles towards the food sellers. Here she was fairly brisk about her business, and Kenshin's arms filled up with packages. Miso, daikon, cabbage... 

The last stop of the day was the tofu-seller, where Kaoru picked up a large tub of tofu that she carried herself. Where she had almost ignored Kenshin earlier, now she turned her friendly chatter on him. 

"Did you see the lizard that man had, Kenshin!" Her eyes were wide. 

"Aa, de gozaru yo." Kenshin replied, trying to watch his step behind the pile of packages. 

"It sat on his shoulder! I thought it was some sort of new fashion, until it moved. How did he get it to stay still, Kenshin?" 

"It had a leash, that it did." 

"Oh." Kaoru pouted. "How normal. I thought maybe it was something mysterious." 

"Iie. And he fed it little flies." 

"Oh. Eww." She thought about that for a minute, then brightened. "Let's stop by Megumi's clinic, Kenshin! It's right down here." 

"But- the food-" He tried to protest, but she wasn't listening. 

"Come on, Kenshin!" 

* * *

"Megumi!" Kaoru called out as they entered the clinic. "Hello?" 

"Oh, hello!" Megumi called, sticking her head out from one of the examining rooms. "Ken-san! Kaoru!" She disappeared for a minute, then reappeared with a young woman whose arm was bandaged. "Change the bandages regularly," she instructed the woman, "and apply this salve to it daily. Come back if the flesh turns red, or if it doesn't look better in a week." 

The woman thanked her, gave her a few coins, and smiled at Kenshin on her way out. 

Megumi began cleaning her hands while she turned her head to talk to the two standing in her entranceway. "How have you been, Kaoru, Kenshin? I haven't seen you in a while." 

"Actually," Kaoru said, "I wanted to invite you over for dinner. With Sano working, not getting into fights, it seems like we never see you." _I will learn to like this woman, I will. Besides, she ought to know what we've found out about Sano._

Megumi laughed pleasantly. "Certainly, Kaoru. Have you seen Sano recently?" 

Kaoru was about to reply when a group of men burst into the clinic. "Doctor!" The first one said, holding his arm. "Please, help us!" 

"Oh, dear." Kaoru exclaimed softly. Every one of them was hurt in one way or another, and several of them were holding others up. 

"This way." Megumi said professionally. "Kaoru, wash your hands. I'm going to need help here, and Dr. Genzai is home with the girls. Kenshin--" 

"I shall take these packages to the dojo, that I will." Kenshin said firmly. "And then I shall go find Dr. Genzai, and bring him here, and I shall help." 

"Arigato, Ken-san." Megumi said. "Please hurry." 

* * *

By the time Kenshin returned with Dr. Genzai, the two women had patched up most of the men as best they could, and were working on one of the unconscious. 

"Oh, my." Dr. Genzai commented as he washed his hands. "Well, what happened here?" He asked one of the nearby men who was already sporting bandages. 

"We were gamblin' over at the new establishment in the Row." The man replied. Kenshin's eyes narrowed, and although he did not look at the man, he listened more carefully. "Iemitsu got a bit drunk, hit on some of the women, and Denjiro started... helping him... an' then, he and a few of the other guys got in a fight with their thugs. We jumped in to try and separate them, get them calmed down a bit, and the next thing we knew, we were being dumped into the street half-unconscious. Nasty lot, his thugs. Half killed poor Iemitsu. Threatened to finish the job if he ever showed up again, and I half believed them, too." His eyes fell. 

"I see." Dr. Genzai said gently. "Well, don't worry about your friends. Dr. Takani is one of the best out there." He smiled at the boy, then turned to Kenshin. "Come on, Himura. Let's see if Megumi has left us anything to do." 

"Thank you, sir." The man said, then leaned against the wall and fell silent. 

Kenshin followed the doctor into the examination room. 

* * *

It was dark outside when Kenshin left the surgery and went in search of Kaoru. Glancing at the clock, he could see it was well past midnight. Very well past. 

He glanced around the waiting room, but saw no one. A small frown formed between his eyebrows, and he cocked his head. Ah- there. He followed his instincts and the faint sound of breathing to the hallway, and stopped, a smile coming unbidden to his face. 

Kaoru lay curled up in a ball at the very end of the hall, the bandages she had been folding lying in a small heap on her lap. One was still clutched in her hand, which was tucked up under her chin. 

He crouched next to her and carefully touched her shoulder. "Kaoru-dono. Kaoru." 

"Huh?" Kaoru's eyes blinked open, and she looked at him blearily before pushing herself upright. "W- Did I fall asleep?" 

"Aa de gozaru." Kenshin offered her a hand up. "Megumi-dono and Genzai-sensei have finished. All the men are resting now, that they are. We can go home." His smile grew, and a secret thrill went through him. _Home_. 

She took his hand, cradling the bandages in her elbow. "Let me put these away, Kenshin." 

He followed her like a large, pink dog as she wandered around straightening up, then out the door. They walked in companionable silence to the dojo, each with their own thoughts. Once inside, Kenshin said quietly, "Would you like me to draw you a bath before bed, Kaoru-dono?" 

She smiled at him. "No, thank you Kenshin. I think I might fall asleep in it." She glanced around. "Did Yahiko come home? Is he asleep?" 

"Aa. I told him not to wait up for us, that I did." Kenshin replied. "Goodnight, Kaoru-dono." 

"Goodnight, Kenshin." She watched his back as he padded to his room, then slid her own door open. 

She dreamed of gis that night. Pink gis, and white and black ones with blood all over them. 

* * *


End file.
